I’m wrapping up Paul’s letter to the Romans this morning. As I look back, I’ve covered a lot of ground . . . talk about your “drinking through a fire hose.” Ton of stuff behind me . . . doctrines of sin, salvation, and justification by faith. Teachings on putting to death the old man and putting on the new man and the dynamic of the Holy Spirit in living in newness of life. Promises to claim . . . all things works together for good . . . we are more than conquerors . . . nothing will separate us from the love of God. Commands to obey . . . I’m to present my body as a living sacrifice . . . I’m to be zealous in spirit and serve the Lord . . . I’m to cast off the works of darkness and put on Christ . . . I’m to pursue peace and edification . . . I’m to avoid judging my brother and to stop “majoring on minors”. And that little summary just scratches the surface. Yeah . . . a ton of stuff! How do I try and live up to it all? Well, it seems to me, that while I am to be willing, I need to know too that ,praise God, He is able.

“Now to Him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith–to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.” (Romans 16:26-27 ESV)

He is able.
He, the only wise God, is able.
He, the only wise God, is able to strengthen me.
He, the only wise God, is able to strengthen me in order to bring about the obedience of faith.

Chew on that a bit. Mull it over. Absorb it.

He who created the heavens and earth . . . He who has been faithfully fulfilling His promise to Abraham for thousands of years . . . He who spared not His own Son but so loved the world that He offered Him a once-for-all sacrifice . . . He who conquered death as evidenced by the empty tomb . . . He who abides within me through His indwelling Holy Spirit . . . He is able.

Able to illuminate me to understand the deep doctrines. Able to convict me of my sinful stubbornness to hold on to parts of the old man. Able to convince me in the inner man of the reality of the Spirit’s sanctifying work within me. Able to encourage me to take a risk and love and serve like He’s asked me to love and serve. Able to take my feeble attempt at crawling onto the altar of sacrifice and use the offering, such as it is, for His glory. Yes, He is able.

God is able . . . and mine is to be willing.

My “willing” and His “able” produces “the obedience of faith.” My “willing” and His “able” results in a walk worthy of the calling. My “willing” and His “able” leads to an authentic . . . not perfect, but an authentic expression of what it is to be a child of God and a follower of Christ.

And when we believers bring the “willing” and He faithfully brings the “able” . . . and there is, by His grace, some measure of fruit produced . . . then we too look heavenward with Paul and worshipfully exclaim, “To the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ!, Amen.”

My willing . . . His able . . . all for the glory of God. Amen?